Forever Years
by Zeihk
Summary: So when Sasuke told him to confess his love to Hinata, he had no idea that he'd do it in a church, and in front of so many people no less... [AU, NaruHina]


This is actually my first het-fic, and I did have fun writing it (NaruHina is too cute for its own good). Hope you enjoy.

**Forever Years**

* * *

If Naruto could get a working thought through his mind at that moment, he probably could've found something he had done in the past that was stupider than _this_. Maybe. 

And if he actually had found the notion in his foggy mind to try to find something, he would've snorted derisively and told himself to not even try. For at that moment, his embarrassment and complete shock at himself overrode anything else. At this very moment, **this** was the stupidest and most mortifying instant of his life.

He didn't know how he had managed to just do it. He couldn't find the exact second in which he had thought, 'Hey, I bet this would be a good idea'. He probably hadn't. He worked on impulses. It was something his friends had scolded him for time and time again. Strange that he hadn't learned his lesson after everything he had gotten himself into.

It seemed to him as if every eye in the entire _world_ was on him. He could feel a hot blush creep across his cheeks even as cold sweat gathered at his brow. In a normal circumstance, he would've reached up to wipe away the offending salty water, because sweat was really a nasty thing. But this situation was special. It was different. It was strange. Unusual.

Way too bizarre for his mind to wrap around. For, just moments before, he had declared his love to the one and only Hinata Hyuuga.

* * *

For a few moments after the choir had stepped off the stage, Naruto Uzumaki, number one prankster and incomplete puzzle sat in the pew, indiscernible disconnected thoughts racing through his mind. As hard as he tried, he could not catch any of the eluding thoughts. It was like his mind was making itself up _for _him. 

The rest of the pews were already empty, save for a few stragglers. The pastor had left through a side door adjacent to the stage, probably going to his office to talk to the various people of the church. Naruto knew for a fact, a very happy prospect actually, that the pastor's office was open to anyone who wanted to talk or to grab a snack. Every service new sweets were put out on a table in his office, ready and available for anyone who wanted them.

He had often been chased out of that office because he had taken one too many of those delicious snacks.

The lights were dimmed and the projection screen hanging against the wall behind the stage held serene ever-changing pictures of nature with cheesy captions at the bottom in swirly fonts. He often wondered how anyone found inspiration in them when all that could be found were exclamations of 'do your best and everything will be alright!'

Among the stragglers, even with the dim lighting, he could see a sullen looking Sasuke Uchiha. He sat at the very back, several pews behind him. He was leaning casually against the back of the pew, seemingly unaware of his surroundings. But if Naruto knew Sasuke, he probably knew where every living _thing_ was at least forty feet away from him. A cold chill swept through him as the Uchiha's previously closed eyes snapped open and swept across him.

Sure, the youngest Uchiha was his best friend, but still... In one of his moods he could give even him the willies.

Naruto's eyes slipped away from Sasuke's form to examine the rest of the large room. He could practically _feel _Sasuke's burning black eyes slipping closed, and the burning at Naruto's back ceased.

Three more sat near the front on the side, and Naruto recognized them immediately as friends of his. Shikamaru the lazy genius, Kiba the loud-mouthed dog lover, and Shino, who was the quietest person he had ever met. Naruto assumed that the other person usually attached to this group, Chouji the gorger, had left to grab food from the pastor's office. Naruto could tell from Kiba's animated movements that he had launched into yet another amazing tale he had fashioned.

A few more that Naruto did not recognize were still hanging around in the pews, hanging off significant others or laughing loudly at their friend's' jokes. Only one more group Naruto recognized: Sakura Haruno, Ino Yamanaka, and Hinata Hyuuga. They sat in the front and center row for a reason unknown to Naruto. Those were the people that were always questioned by the pastor.

Sakura, the girl with cherry blossom pink hair, sat close to her best friend Ino, a blonde that was as vivacious as him. They seemed to be conversing over something highly important, because usually they spoke loud enough for the whole planet to hear. They held their heads close together, their shoulders shaking with suppressed giggles every now and then. Naruto immediately knew why when Sakura shot a discreet, or what she believed was discreet, glance towards the dark haired man in the back.

Sasuke. Both Sakura and Ino, and many other girls, had been obsessed with him for many years, ever since he set foot in the church (which was well over eight years ago). Naruto had only just figured out, when the cloak of jealousy had been lifted, that it was because Sasuke was the three things most women found sexy: tall, dark, and handsome. Nobody but him knew much about him, he was a mystery to them all. Naruto prided himself in the fact that he knew Sasuke better than anyone out there.

Turning his attention from where it had strayed thoughtfully to the now wide-open and despondent eyes of his best friend, his eyes landed on the last girl of the group. His heart beat faster just looking at her. Her dark hair was wrapped in a half ponytail for once, and her pale skin shone unnaturally milky in the muted lighting. Hinata. She hung quietly apart from Ino and Sakura's conversation, one ear open to it while her eyes strayed around the room, not wanting to get up and leave them yet wishing to be part of the conversation. Naruto could just imagine her eyes, eyes that were such a light grey they seemed milky white, discontent and forlorn shining in them.

The thought spurred anger in him. He wished he could yell at the two girls that did not feel the need to include Hinata in their conversation, tell them to talk to her, make her happy and content, because he could not. He couldn't... He hadn't the courage.

And for some reason, as if sensing his anger, Ino turned her head to Hinata and inquired something, a bright smile on her pointed face. Piñata's gaze snapped back to her, surprise clear on her face before she stuttered something out. Naruto knew that she did not usually stutter anymore around her friends, only when surprised or angry. He knew full well that she stuttered to people she did not know.

The anger clutching and clawing at his chest abated when Hinata was apparently accepted and pulled into the conversation, though from the frequent glances at Sasuke from Ino and Sakura, Naruto could tell it was still about Sasuke. Naruto knew Hinata wouldn't be comfortable talking about Sasuke in the way the other girls were.

Pride swelled in his chest as he, once again, noticed how much he knew about the girl. He loved to simply observe her actions; he knew what made her nervous, happy, lonely, and even angry (though that was rare).

When a small smile began to form on the pale girl's face, his disposition changed again to one of despair. He hadn't the courage... He wished he could make sure that smile stayed on her face, forever and ever, until the end of time, but...

Though he had blind courage for anything that he did, and often it was needed, he couldn't find any for this situation. His courage o' meter was depleted when it came to Hinata. Sure, it was easy enough to talk to her, she was one of his good friends, but when it came to the thought of actually _telling _her exactly how he felt he was at a loss.

He could take Sasuke's advice and 'just do it,' but that didn't get him all geared up to shout, 'I love you Hinata!' In fact, when Sasuke had given him the advice, he had immediately told him that maybe _he _should 'just do it'. _Then_Naruto could 'just do it'.

Apparently Sasuke had taken his challenge to heart, because the next day he had announced to him that he was the boyfriend of one Neji Hyuuga. If that wasn't the biggest surprise of Naruto's natural born life, he didn't know what was.

And so Naruto had to find a way to confess to Hinata, or he'd have to admit defeat to _Sasuke _of all people, and Naruto was too pig-headed to do any such thing. He'd die before he lost to the ice prince.

The thoughts in his mind were flailing again, running and slipping and winding, and Naruto couldn't catch drift of any of them. The only thing he could see in his mind's eye were the words, 'just do it,' repeating like a mantra, over and over voiced in Sasuke's monotone. His heart beat faster and his veins seemed to be on fire as adrenaline pumped throughout him and his stomach felt like he had just swallowed a six-pack of an intense energy drink and was twisting itself into knots because of it.

He could feel Sasuke's dark eyes on his back as he pushed himself from the pew and his feet started walking of their own accord, and though he screamed himself silly mentally at them, they didn't falter. He found himself standing in front of Hinata before he could register what he had been intending.

Silence seemed to beat in his ears as Hinata glanced up at him, and Sakura and Ino fell silent as their conversation was interrupted by the boisterous presence of the new blonde. Feeling more than one stare burning holes through him, sensing Hinata's beautiful grey eyes ghosting over his face, watching and waiting, he blurted out the only thing he could.

"I love you!"

And just like that, time seemed to stop and the only thing he could see were Hinata's, beautiful, innocent, gentle Hinata's wide eyes. All he could see was the surprise in them, only that, and he knew he had done something incredibly stupid.

And time sped forward again and he could feel thousands upon thousands of eyes on him, seeing through him, mocking him, laughing and silent. His face flushed and his gaze fled from his love interest's' to the floor. Now it wasn't just his and Hinata's moment, it was everybody's, and they all knew it.

"W-what?" Hinata stuttered. Naruto hoped she was stuttering because she was surprised, and not angry, because he couldn't find the will to look up at her to see her expression.

When no sound came from Naruto, Kiba helpfully spoke up. "He loves you, Hinata!" He yelled, a hand raised to wave. Naruto could easily find a grin in his tone and wondered why he couldn't find any expression in Hinata's.

He could even imagine Sasuke's wide smirk as he silently observed. Sakura and Ino's wide eyes as they watched. Shikamaru's calculating half-smile and Shino's expressionless face as he quietly watched. All just watching, watching, and waiting. Watching and waiting forever.

At least it seemed like forever until Hinata stood up, and Naruto knew it took all of her meager courage reserves to touch a hand to his face and lift it up, like a mother would to a child. "R-really? Really, Naruto?" She asked. And suddenly Naruto could see the hesitance, and the hope, and the love and he couldn't take it anymore.

His lips found hers and they were suddenly and wonderfully caught up in an embrace as all of the love and hope and hesitance of years was let out. When Naruto looked back on this moment years later, he would remark to his best friend that he couldn't have found a more perfect moment in his life than this.

Even if Kiba and many others were un-helpfully letting out cat-whistles.

Naruto drew away and watched as Hinata touched a long finger to her lips, and both of them were smiling so wide it seemed as if their faces would split in half. Neither cared how ridiculous they looked as Naruto drew her tighter into his embrace and set his forehead against hers.

"Really really, Hinata. Forever and ever." He replied softly. He could feel her heartbeat speeding against his chest as she leaned up and pecked his lips, expression tender as she drew away.

"I love you forever and ever, Naruto." She whispered back.

Years later he would look back on this moment and laugh, then hit his best friend's shoulder when he remembered his derisive snort and mutter of, 'How cheesy!' But years later Naruto couldn't have possibly cared as much because he would have Hinata in his arms as he laughed with all of his friends, forever and ever.

* * *

End. 


End file.
